Integrated Flight System Now Standard Equipment

By ANN Correspondent Kevin O'Brien

Another OEM customer Tuesday announced the Garmin G1000 integrated flight system will now be standard equipment on Bonanzas and Barons starting next year. In a press conference attended by both reporters and members of the American Bonanza Society, Beechcraft committed totally to the Garmin glass panel.

Randy Groom, president of the Beechcraft division at Raytheon, said, "I personally think there is something really magical about the Bonanzas and the Barons. And today, we're going to light up a little more magic in the front end of these airplanes." With that phrase, Beechcraft employees pulled aside a red cloth covering a mock-up of the new panel.

The G1000 installation in the Beeches differs from previous installations of the system, in that the Beech version is more tightly integrated, and offers more features, including traffic (the system is a Level B TAWS), terrain warning, and engine monitoring. The Garmin GFC 700 autopilot is included in both systems, and the Baron includes the GWX 68, a new weather radar from Garmin.

One important note in Groom's address may have been off-the-cuff, because it didn't appear in the internet press release. He directly addressed intermittent rumors of a corporate desire to sell off the piston-powered line. "Make no mistake about it, the Bonanza and the Baron are key components of our product strategy going forward. I am committed -- and Beechcraft is committed -- to these products and their continued refinement. You see, we have a lot of customers that buy our piston engined airplanes, and then they progress; they tend to get in the Beechcraft family and move up the line."

Groom (below) also praised the type club, saying, "The American Bonanza Society has over 10,000 enthusiastic members that are committed to these products and to the safe operation of the products." One bit of gloom in Groom's remarks was reserved for owners of existing Barons and Bonanzas: due to the complexity of the installation, and its integration with all of the systems aboard the airplane this particular system will not be available as a retrofit kit for owners of existing Barons and Bonanzas. He suggested that the aftermarket may come up with something in due course, but didn't commit Beech to anything.   

Beech made just under 50 Barons and Bonanzas last year. The line began with the first Bonanza in 1947, and the Bonanza has been in continuous production with over 17,000 built so far. The derivative twin Baron has so far sold 6,000 units.

FMI: www.beechcraft.com, www.garmin.com